Engine starter



Dec. 20, 1927; 1,653,338

. O. BRISBOIS ENGINE STARTER Filed June 18. 1923 Patented Dec. 20, 1927;

UNITED STATES ODILON'IBBISBOIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ENGDIE STARTER.

" Application filed June 18, 192a. Serial no. Manse.

This invention relates to an engine starter of that type in which a... driven member is caused to move longitudinally into coacting engagement with a member on the engine 6 shaft.

Amon the objects of this invention, it is contemp ated to devise a starter in. which the driven member does notbegin its lon(gi- I tudinal movement until the motor has 10 veloped sufficient torque for the purpose of starting what is commonly known as a stiff engine A further object of the invention consists in the provision of longitudinally shiftable means for the driven member having yieldable inclinations, so that the driven member may readily slip rearwardly when there is an abutting relation betweenit and the engine member.

It'is also an object of thisinvention to utilize compressible means for frictionally holding the driven member with relation to its source of power during the operation of starting the motor.

It is more specifically an object of this invention to slidably mount a hollow sleeve upon a motor shaft and provides. slot in the peripheryof said sleeve consisting of a short transverse portion and an inclined portion of yieldable inclination.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a starter in which there, is a certain amount of yield upon a back-kick of the engine when the same is under the highest compression, in order to prevent damage to the motor upon reversal thereof.

It is further object of this invention to overcome the objectionable abutting relation between the driven member and the engine member in a new and novel way.

With these and other objects in view which will become more apparent from the following description and disclosures, this invention comprises the novel structure "and combinations hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined i'frthe appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention and in which similar reference characters refer to similar features in the different views: i

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a starting motor equipped with a starting mech-v of the lugs 6 being hp anism involving my invention and showing a portion of an engine member consisting of a fly-wheel.

Figure 2 is a enlarged elevational view of the starting mechanism with the driven memher in coacting relation with the engine member.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 33ofFi rel. Figure 4 1s a section upon the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a development of the spiral slot in'the sleeve. In referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention, there is shown the usual motor 1 having a shaft 2 provided with a reducedouter end 3 forming a shoulder at the inner end of the reduced portion. A hollow sleeve provided with a bearin neck 4 to fit the retongues or lugs 6 extending from a collar 7 secured to t e end of the reduced portion of the shaft by a set screw 8 or the like, one referably keyed to the shaft, as shown in igure 4, Therefore, as the shaft 2 is rotated, the tongues or lugs 6- which are nested in the bifurcations of the bearing neck 4 will cause the sleeve to rotate with the collar 7.

It should also be noted that the bearing neck 4 is not as long as the distance between the collar 7 and the annularshoulder at the inner end of the reduced portion, so that the sleeve has a certain amount of longitudinal play or movement. A coiled spring 9 surrounds the bearing neck 4 between the collar 7 and the enlarged cylindrical portion 5 of the sleeve, the purpose and function of which Will hereinafter more fully appear.

A spiral slot is made in the periphery, of the sleeve and consists of a short transverse portion 10 and an inclined portion 11 at approximately an angle of 25 to the straight transverse portion. This inclined slot portion 11 will allow a slippage along its surface'and that will allow the inion to recede upon a sudden impact. ma term such an inclination as yieldable. ft

should however be understood that any other inclination may be used that will allow slippage against the side of the slot.

A driven member '12 in the form of a gear with a collar 14 and a coiled spring 15 of greater tension than spring 9 is positioned against the collar 14 and extends outwardly upon the motor shaft.

,Fi re 1 shows parts in normal position I in w ich the stud 13 is resting in the transverse portion of the spiral slot. We will now assume that the motor is started. It will reuire several revolutions of the shaft before t e sleeve will cause sufficient-longitudinal travel of the pinion 12 to bring the same into mesh with the gear 16 of the engine shaft; the transverse portion of the slot retarding longitudinal movement of the pinion to this extent. In other words, the S1 eve 5 will have to rotate until the radial projection 13 is brou ht into the inclined portion of the slot. T is particular construction will allow the motor to ac uire suflicient torque for the purpose of starting a stiff engine, or, in other words, a new engine that has not been sufficiently used to produce a free and easy action. As soon as. the radial projection 13 is brought into the inclined portion 11 of the slot, it will shift the driven member 12 longitudinally into meshwith the engine memer 16 against the tension ofthe spring 15, which will be compressed and exert a longitudinal thrust in the opposite direction to compress the spring During the longitudinal travel of'thedriven member 12, the

stud 13 will not travel to the end of the slot 11 but will stop acertain distance from the end of the slot, as shown in Figure 2; the spring 15 resisting further longitudinal movement of the driven member or pinion 12, whereby the same may be held between two longitudinally yieldable forces while being rotated to start the engine.

Now, assuming that during the longitudinal travel of the pinion 12 toward meshing relation with the gear 16, the teeth of the pinion and gear 16 should come into an abutting tooth-on-tooth.relation, in such a case the inclination of the slot 11 is such that but slight longitudinal impelling force is exerted against the pinion 12, so that no serious impact or frictional binding will occur, and any un'due impact will cause the pinion to recede into the sleeve on account of the in clination of the slot 11, or the spring 9 may be com ressed so the gears can always be readil rought into meshing relation.

If t e engine should back-kick during the operation 0 starting, an increased force will the stud 13 into.the end of t e inclined slot 11 before the motor will be reversed. It is well known that the eatest shock of backfiring occurs at the instant that the backkick occurs when the engine is under the highest compression, and this shock at reversal will be absorbed largely through the extended part of the slot 11 throu h which the radial stud passes u on back-firing before the motor is'reverse Besides aifording a yield to the pinion 12 when there is a tooth on-tooth engagement between it and the gear 16, the inclined slot 11 has another important advantage, especially in starting stiff or green engines. Assuming that the motor has been started and the operator has removed his foot from the switch, under the belief that the engine has been started, when the engine in fact has not been-started. As soon as'the operator stops the motor under such conditions, the impetus imparted to the pinion 12 by the spring 15 in conjunction with the rotation of the fly wheel gear of the engine due toits momentum W111 cause the pinion 12 to demesh and return to initial position. The inclination of the slot 11 facilitates this operation. Consequently when the motor is started again it can acquire sufficient torque before the pinion goes into mesh with the fly wheel to start the motor. I

'Another important feature arising from the particular slope of the slot is thata very short are of rotation of the sleeve occurs while the pinion is going into mesh so that the chamfering of the gear teeth is greatly reduced. "It is characteristic of this starter that the pinion can be easily and quickly, brought intofull meshing relation, and that the motor has acquired suflicient torque when this occurs to start any stiffen ine. I am awarethat numerous etails of construction may be varied through a wide .ran e without departing. from the principles oft is invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwis than necessitated by the PllOl art.

I claim as my invention In an engine starter comprising a motor shaft havin a reduced end, a sleeve having a bifurcate' bearing slidably, mounted on said reduced portion, a collar on said reduced portion havinglugs extending into said bifurcation, a pinion mounted within said sleevehaving a stud projecting radially, therefrom, said sleeve having a, spiral slot for receiving said stud, a spring between said sleeve and collar, and a second yieldable spring adapted to be put undercom ression during the longitudinal travel ofsai pinion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

- ODILON BRISBOIS. ,i

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